Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Mar 27, 2008 20:21:45 GMT -5
Day One 2:30pm
Summer was nice, it gave many gathering of supplies opportunities but for a few days Desideria was taking a brief break from her gathering. For the moment she had enough feathers, blood, parts, hairs, and what all else she would ever need for a few other potions she was currently working with, one she was hoping would soon be ready to put through the Ministry. However, for the next three days she was vending.
Wheeling and dealing where opportunities were most available meant gaining attention from where attention was being placed. The Music Festival was exactly where the Hogwarts Potions Professor most needed to be.
Hogwarts provided a number of opportunities, room and board, and wages, but it was somewhat like a seasonal job. Employment could only really be given when children were in school. Students and professors alike were on holidays and there was no current income. Desideria's solution was to sell wares while opportunity presented itself.
And while she'd been questioned by a number of Ministry, she had nothing illegal or extremely dangerous to offer patrons. Nope, she was merely selling so she could hopefully secure more ingredients for another potion she had a want to try. The woman was sure she was close to making a break through discovery on her special potion.
"Potions for sale!" her voice boomed alongside a number of others. "We've your sleeping draughts, invigorations, filx felicis', babblings, and more!"
((Open))
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Mar 28, 2008 1:16:26 GMT -5
Waking up early, it had taken Layla all morning to convince herself that this was a good idea. For the short time he had been at the Inn, she had only braved Diagon Alley by herself very, very early in the morning before the shops and streets got too crowded. Even then, she quickly made her way to her destination, made her purchase in record time and hurried back to her room. She still felt weak and incapable, and was still uncomfortable around strangers. She knew this would pass, but it's not easy to do so when you're in the undesirable demographic of the wizarding world.
But... she had been urged by Drew to leave the room and attend the Festival. Enjoy some music, walk around in the great summer weather and surprise Charlie, who still didn't know Layla had come back. It was for those reasons that Layla finally gave in and went. She arrived earlier than Drew had planned so she could look around and walked back and forth eyeing the vendors and the stages being set up.
She was just about to walk towards a book stand, Layla heard a woman's call for an assortment of Potions. She instead walked towards her and smiled politely. "Hello. I'm looking for something simple that can remove this horrible stain from a pair of slacks I have," she started explaining with her nose wrinkling at the spot and its rancid odor. "It's from a potion I was trying to brew and well... it didn't turn out very well," she told the woman, blushing slightly at her blunder.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Mar 28, 2008 21:13:05 GMT -5
A few passerbys, none she recognized as previous patrons. And while none stopped, it didn't stop Desideria from realing about the potions she had for sale. How many years had she sold things just like this? It took time for people to warm up, and it didn't bother the woman one little bit. Knowing what was allowed and what wasn't was a huge deal to getting past the Ministry people, she knew the rules and regulations better than many, for she dealt with them all her life post-Hogwarts.
Just as she turned to bring out a few other potions she was hoping to draw others over with, and young face appeared from the crowd speaking directly to her. The voice was friendly, curious, and she actually needed something and wasn't just curious how to make her own potion that would remove the stain. That suited the woman finely.
"Well deary," the Hispanic woman began, taking a clear look at the spot. "There are a number of potions I could offer you, but tell me first what kind of a potion you were brewing. Sometimes there are certain bits that can go into a potion that'll take out stains better than plain stain-removing potions."
There would be no extra charge, Desideria was fairer than that on the young ones. Besides, a nice face like that and one that was a potion brewer to begin with, how could she turn it away or charge more? The point was, she just couldn't.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Mar 28, 2008 23:48:44 GMT -5
Layla had worn a shirt that was conveniently long enough fall past her hips and cover the Galleon-sized spot that was right over her pocket. She lifted the shirt to show the potions vendor the brown, circular residue. Looking at it brought back the feeling she felt when she realized she had ruined her potion. “It was just a simple Strengthening Solution,” she admitted. According to the books she was using, it was a 5th year brew. Layla had gone back and had started reviewing as much as she could on her own. It was moments like that one that seized a good chunk of Layla’s confidence. It would be another day or so before she tried something else.
“I got a spot of salamander blood that won’t come out for anything.” She poked at the spot as if it were just about to move at her will. “These are my favorite slacks, too” she jested, hoping the woman wouldn’t ask too many questions. She didn't let too many people know how far behind she really was. So far only Drew knew and he said he'd help in any way he could. Hopefully the woman was just interested in making the sale.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Mar 31, 2008 13:17:00 GMT -5
"Good potion," Desideria commented, wondering if the girl was a Hogwarts student. If she was, the woman couldn't place her face. Maybe she was one of the ones who'd skipped out all year or didn't make the O.W.L. As sad as it was, not everyone could be great. Though, she was sure the Cronon boy would shape up well enough this year... if she could get him to brew a potion rather than keep on with the 'I can't's'.
So it was just blood, not the actual potion. No harm in that. Turning away from the young lady with the quickest of looks into her stock, she brought out a vial full of liquid as thick as curded cheese. "This'll do. Now, let me just add a bit of... oh yes, that's it."
Pulling out a pink foam and a few hairs from a jarvey and mixed the lot of them into a nice little bowl she'd brought for occasions requiring her to perform a bit of on-site magic, and the potion began nearly shrieking as it was mixed.
"Now that's the stuff," she told the girl, with a big grin. This was real magic, no other way around it. "It's just got to settle for a moment or two and then we can paint it on that stain of yours." The horrible, putrid yellow color wasn't anything to be worried about.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 1, 2008 1:09:36 GMT -5
Layla smiled politely and stifled a grin as the woman immediately perked up and started gathering ingredients in an impromptu mixture. Though the woman was almost flustered, she mixed and stirred with elegance and purpose. Layla found herself watching intently as the woman prepared her solution. Each step was taken with caution, but confidence. Layla realized that perhaps it was confidence that she was lacking. The proof was in the stain on her pants.
The woman's grin was contagious and only encouraged the innate curiousity turning the wheels in Layla's mind. "Thank you," she offered brightly, still looking at the newly mixed solution the woman held. "The pink foam," she stated quietly, pointing to the mixture it was now in, "what was that, if I may ask? I think the hairs were jarvey?"
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 3, 2008 17:30:16 GMT -5
Dark brown orbs kept a steady stream of looks between her work and the faces who'd gathered round to watch. The young girl's was the most important though, being she was the one who wanted the potion. And who was Desideria to keep her from getting the best of looks at the potion she was making right there for her?
Twenties years of the business and she was still going strong. While she hadn't even completed a full year of teaching, the woman felt she was doing well enough with the students, some seemed truly interested while others could care less. It was the same while she'd been in Hogwarts, though at least her Professor had done something and pointed her in the correct direction. Potions. There was no other way.
"Correct you are," Desideria answered proudly, praying the girl really wasn't a Hogwarts student who had failed Potions or skipped her class the last term. With an eye like that she couldn't be a poor potions student. "And that foam is a mixture of Bundimun secretion, Acromantula venom and peppermint to give it a better smell."
Her secret was whispered to the young woman. Why should she share her secrets with everyone?
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 3, 2008 23:00:12 GMT -5
Layla's face revealed a glowing expression of satisfaction. Well I better know what jarvey hairs look like. I've been looking through that bloody book long enough. Aside from the fact that she had relied solely on her books for almost two years, Potions had been Layla's favorite subject. It had been difficult to study only in theory, though it developed her imagination a bit.
The woman's impressed tone brightened the girl's face, and she leaned in slowly as if the woman's tip was a deep secret of the trade. "Oh..." she said looking at the potion transform before her. She remembered why it had enchanted her as a student, with different textures and densities mixing towards a magical result. "Where did you read that?" She wondered if she should start subscribing to those magical journals, and wondered if the woman was familiar with any of them.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 5, 2008 10:19:02 GMT -5
"Read, deary?" she asked slightly taken aback. "Any good book or journal will point you in the right direction, but a person needs to experiment to get any good amount further along." That was how the woman did her own thing, she experimented, fought with the Ministry over legality of things, and still fought more with the potions board of executives about getting some things claimed in her own name. They were really giving her a hassle about the one potion she'd created a year back and had yet to approve of. It was stable, safe, and what more did you need than that?
"In order to find something that'll work for ya, you have to feel things out, play a little take and give with things, and not worry about ruining a few robes." The last part was in jest, but she was completely honest. How many robes had she gone through because she burned holes in them?
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 5, 2008 16:15:04 GMT -5
Layla listened intently as the woman offered her the advice in potion making. It was odd to hear someone speak of it like that. She had taken a liking to it in the first place because she saw it as such a precise and and intricate process. It was the first time she had heard anyone refer to it as an experiment and it encouraged her interest. The woman was obviously very knowledgeable and evidently knew what she was doing.
"Well I'll just have to remember to not use my favorite pair of slacks when I'm working on a brew," she replied with a small grin. " I've always worn my older robes in class, though, so I've never had a problem there." She wondered about the woman's experiments and smirked a bit when she wondered if something had ever gone horribly wrong. "I'll have to keep that in mind," she told the woman with an eye still on the potion, "we'll see how keen my Professor is on experimentation"
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 6, 2008 14:31:11 GMT -5
Precision with potions was necessary, it was what gave a person confidence to make things perfectly. If potions weren't made perfectly, it was likely things would go haywire and something or someone would be in some form of trouble. However, experimenting on one's own was the only way to discover things. While teaching her students, she required precision, confidence, and meticulousness. Everything had to be according in her room because she couldn't very well keep an eye on every student every second of the lesson. However, she was willing to allow some experimentation, to an extent and any student was more than welcome to take on an extra lesson in order to experiment, she encouraged it.
"Never good clothes. The oldest and raggiest will become your best clothing if you wear your best while playing with potions. It's a tricky business, and one that 'as too many bloopers to go prancing about in your best clothing. Anyone who claims they've never spilled a drop on themselves while potion brewing is lying right through their teeth to you."
So she was a Potions student! That made Desideria right happy, that did. "What school to you attend if you don't mind my asking?" Maybe she even knew the girl's professor? Possible. With as much business as she used to do, she had to have at least heard of the person.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 6, 2008 18:19:04 GMT -5
"Well yes, they're either lying or they've taken the humble road and have already sought you out to clean themselves up," she told the woman with a small giggle. "But when this happened I was just reviewing the process and I remembered that I had all the ingredients. I just decided to put them all together. I had completely forgotten to change out of my good clothes," she told her, feeling better now that the stain had a remedy.
"Oh, I'm a Hogwart's student," she replied brightly. Just saying the words and knowing that they were true made the girl smile. "I'm entering my last year."
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 7, 2008 11:25:45 GMT -5
Chuckling at the girl's assessment, Desideria was beginning to really wonder just who taught this girl. Humble indeed and had sought out someone's help to clean them up. True, and tooting her own horn, she believed she had a wonderful potion to pull stains out to make clothing look brand new, but there were potions sold in masses already out in the world and sometimes they worked downright well, but you had to check the label before buying it first.
"Sometimes things like that do happen deary," she answered. "That' why you've got to make sure you've the best solution for getting them out." And she'd be sure to write down the ingredients for the girl so she would have it, too.
"'Ogwarts?" she asked, confused. This girl hadn't once set foot in her class. She'd remember the face if it was so. "Well deary, I'm afraid to say, but I've been teaching there since, oh, around about early February and not once 'ave I seen you."
So, she was one skipping out on her class. Glancing at the potion, it was almost ready, just one or two more minutes.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 7, 2008 23:29:46 GMT -5
Layla had been glancing at the potion at hand, watching it turn of it's own accord when she heard the brewer mention that she, in fact, was a Hogwarts Professor. Her eyes flew up to face her in a split second of what could have been a combination of panic and embarrassment. "Oh..." she uttered, finding herself incredibly bashful all of a sudden. "I'm sorry Professor, I had no idea!" She felt her face become very hot and already felt as if she were being tested.
Layla's hands began pick at the edges of her sleeves and she looked over her shoulder as if she had been caught stealing. "Oh, well I haven't actually been at Hogwarts in almost two years." She tried to smile politely, but she had become so nervous at that point that it may have looked like someone had stubbed her toe. "I'm just getting back for my last year."
She wondered what the woman would think of her now. She had complimented her skill with the potions, she hoped she didn't think she was sucking up. Well, yes, that happened before Layla knew she was the professor, so that couldn't be right. But Layla already saw the friendly woman's face look over her shoulder in class and shake her head in disappointment. Layla stood at the woman's vending booth feeling as she were being inspected already. Ugh... I knew there was a reason I didn't want to come.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 8, 2008 22:31:28 GMT -5
The young woman seemed flustered, and Desideria wasn't certain quite why. Maybe she had been skipping her lessons and therefore was embarrassed to learn she was now facing the professor? Possibe. And as soon as the girl addressed her as professor, she felt her suspicions were confirmed. If she had ventured further than her office and classroom, perhaps she'd know the students of the school a little more and recognize them by face more often.
Watching thenervous behavior of the young woman, Desideria began to wonder what was wrong. If she was old enough she didn't have to necessarily attend her classes, then Desideria couldn't say anything, but if she wasn't...
"Ah!" she exclaimed after the sudden explanation. "I was beginning to wonder if you were one of the ones copping out on my classes this past year." Chuckling, she hoped the girl wasn't uneasy about it all. Really, it wasn't Desideria's particular business, though she was interested. "So, I'm hoping you'll be joining my class this year. A keen eye like yours is needed in such a precise course of art."
Smiling broadly, Desideria wiped a hand on her apron before sticking it out. "Desideria Tapia, miss."
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